Texas Tech Guard Wins Temporary Eligibility Injunction

A Lubbock judge granted Texas Tech guard Donovan Atwell a preliminary injunction, allowing him to play during the 2026–27 season while his eligibility lawsuit against the NCAA proceeds. The dispute concerns the NCAA’s five-for-five eligibility framework and whether it covers athletes who entered college from the 2022 recruiting class; Atwell’s lawyers argued the rule does not clearly exclude them, while the NCAA said it was intended to apply prospectively. The judge also rejected the NCAA’s argument that the Texas court lacked jurisdiction. The ruling is temporary and does not decide the lawsuit’s merits; a trial is scheduled for June 2027, and the NCAA may continue contesting Atwell’s eligibility.